Pedro Sánchez, Spain's self-styled feminist prime minister, has made history after giving 11 of his 17 cabinet posts to women - a higher proportion than anywhere else in Europe.

After taking over from ousted ex-PM Mariano Rajoy last week, the Spanish socialist has flipped the existing structure on its head, which was previously dominated by male executives.

In the new cabinet, women are given some of the biggest jobs including the defence, economy, finance and education portfolios.

Not only is he a feminist, Spain's new PM is also a total dish. Image: Getty.Source:Whimn

The new government of 18, including the PM, now boasts 61.1% women - the highest proportion in the country's history. Currently only a handful of countries have governments where at least half of ministers are women, including France, Sweden and Canada.

Sanchez, who has promised "gender parity", has also appointed a woman to be his deputy - Carmen Calvo, a Socialist who will take charge of the reinstated ministry.

Meanwhile, he has chosen an ex-astronaut, Pedro Duque, to be the country's science minister.

Pedro Sanchez Sworn In as Spanish PM One Day After Ousting Rival Rajoy1:33

Pedro Sanchez, leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), was sworn in as prime minister on June 2 after 180 MPs backed his party’s vote of no confidence in the outgoing leader, Mariano Rajoy, a day earlier. Sanchez was sworn in during an audience with King Felipe VI, as seen in these photos. After the ceremony, PSOE wrote that Sanchez’s aim was to “recover the prestige” of Spain’s institutions and “fight against inequality.” Rajoy became the first Spanish prime minister to be ousted from office by a vote of no confidence following a May 24 court ruling that found his People’s Party benefited from a bribery scheme. One of the party’s former treasurers, Luis Barcenas, was jailed for 33 years for fraud and money laundering. Credit: Casa de SM el Ray via Storyful

June 2nd 2018

8 months ago

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The new prime minister's mix of party colleagues and figures from outside politics is being described in Spain as a "feminist cabinet".

In a TV statement, Mr Sanchez said his new government was made up of people who "shared the same vision of a progressive society that was both modernising and pro-European."

He added that he saw his cabinet as a reflecting the feminist moment in Spain after March 8 when about five million women staged a "feminist strike" against wage inequality and gender violence.

This day had marked a "before and an after" in Spanish society, he said.